Love on the Campus of Dragons
by Meatball42
Summary: The golden age of the fencers of Camelot University may have come to an end as a betrayal rocks their foundations. Can Merlin bring them back together? Or will another secret tear him apart as well?
1. Prologue

Merlin took the stairs two at a time and was panting when he reached the fourth floor of his dorm. The familiar floor coat of two crossed sabres surrounded by Camelot University's twisting dragon motif clattered against the door as Merlin slammed it open and rushed through.

Right across from the stairwell was the entry to Merlin's uncle's apartment. He burst inside and beelined for the kitchen, causing Merlin's uncle to turn in surprise from the book he'd been reading on the sofa.

"It's almost time, Gaius!" Merlin called from the stove, where he removed the simmering stew from the burner and began pulling bowls from the cupboard.

Merlin's white-haired uncle appeared in the doorway, wearing his typical old, stained laboratory robe and an amused smile. "I daresay your friends will not be offended if their meal is not perfect, Merlin," he teased gently.

Merlin, who was inspecting the consistency of the stew, shrugged in response. "I know. But… we're finally all together," he said seriously, and Gaius nodded with understanding.

Merlin had met Arthur and Leon during his freshman year, when he'd been made to assist the school's championship fencing team as part of his work-study. While Leon got along with most everyone, Merlin and Arthur seemed to end up arguing whenever they were in the same room. It had taken some trying circumstances for them to learn to tolerate each other, but in the last two years they'd become friends.

Merlin had also gotten close to the other members of the varsity fencing team. However, late transfers, study-abroad and conflicting schedules had meant that this would be the first term in which all of Merlin's friends would be together at last. This year, in recognition of the fencing team's regional championship and in order to ensure high achievement in both academics and athletics, Principal Pendragon had ensured that the team had complementary schedules and classes together, when possible.

Just imagining having all of his friends together had made Merlin look forward to coming back to college all summer. He'd never had more than a friend or two growing up, and couldn't wait to be part of a group.

"It's going to be amazing, Gaius, I just know it." Merlin smiled toothily at his uncle, who could not help but smile back.

At that moment, there was a polite knock on the door and Merlin rushed past Gaius to open it. Looking freshly tanned and relaxed were Leon and his girlfriend, Arthur's sister Morgana. Crying out greetings at the same time, Merlin and Morgana embraced.

Leon was the assistant captain of the fencing team and Morgana was the best female fencer at Camelot, and they were two of Merlin's best friends. Leon chuckled as he edged past them to greet Gaius.

"How was the cruise?" Merlin asked the skilled sabreuse.

Morgana made a face. "Just like every other cruise we've been on," she said in a tone that didn't encourage further questions. "And your summer break?" she countered, eyes twinkling craftily. "Gaius mentioned you had a girlfriend?"

Merlin glared at his oblivious uncle, who was still talking to Leon. "It… didn't work out."

Morgana made a sympathetic sound. "I'm sorry, Merlin. You'll find someone, I promise."

Merlin nodded half-heartedly, but, determined not to think about Freya and ruin the occasion, he went to greet Leon as Morgana hugged her old friend Gaius. Chatter from the open doorway preempted Merlin's questions for the senior, however, as Percival and Elyan dropped their luggage in the hallway with a clatter and burst into the apartment.

Percival and Elyan had been the last two students to join the varsity fencing team. Worried about the team's image, Principal Pendragon hadn't wanted to allow the transfers from other universities to join his elite squad. Arthur's dogged insistence that they would fit right in with the rest of the team was what convinced him, and the roommates had been valuable members of the team for the last year.

Merlin was feeling somewhat less than grateful at the moment, however, as he was squashed by a huge hug from Percival and battered by friendly punches from Elyan while the others laughed. Feeling slightly the worse for wear, he broke away from the crowd of reuniting friends and returned to the kitchen to take the bread out of the oven. He was so intent on his duty that he failed to notice a floorboard squeaking behind him.

"Still cooking for everyone, are you?"

The hot iron pan barely landed on the counter as Merlin spun around and lost his balance. A hand gripped his flailing elbow firmly and righted his balance before he fell into the oven.

"Still clumsy, I see," Lance chuckled, and pulled Merlin into a hug.

"You're back!" Merlin whispered, squeezing his friend tight. They didn't speak for several long moments, until Merlin sniffed and asked, "How was Spain?"

Lance's dark, serious eyes met Merlin's and he managed to smile. "Enjoyable. I visited relatives, studied, practiced fencing. But I'm glad to be back."

Unable to pay the full tuition at Camelot University, Lance had enrolled in a part-time study program. He was an avid fencer, but only full-time students could be on the team, so Merlin had helped Lance fudge his paperwork to get him on the team. The forgery was discovered, and Lance was expelled from the University for a year, but not before helping the team win the championships. In light of his success- and urged strongly by his son, who was as stubborn as a mule when it came to his fencing team- Principle Pendragon had approved of a sports scholarship for Lance's remaining years of study.

"We're glad to have you," Merlin said honestly. "I've really missed you," he confided more quietly.

Lance smiled in that innocent way of his. "Would you like some help?" he offered, gesturing toward the food.

Merlin sprang into action. "Yeah, thanks. The stew and bread just needs to cool, but apparently Gwen's gone vegetarian over the summer and I promised her I'd have salad." He directed Lance to the greens and carrots in the refrigerator and they quickly set to chopping up their ingredients.

"So, Gwen's doing well, then?" Lance asked. If Merlin had been paying closer attention, he'd have noticed a strange tone in his friend's voice, but since he had to focus on cutting the carrots instead of his own fingers, it slipped by him.

"Fantastic," he answered distractedly. "One of her essays was in a national publication last term, she's already got a job offer for after graduation."

"And… she and Arthur?"

"Mmm…" Merlin turned away to grab a salad bowl and slid the chopped carrots into it. He handed it to Lance and tried to turn away before the older man saw his blushing cheeks. He was setting out a row of bowls for the stew when Lance spoke.

"Do you still have feelings for Arthur, then?"

One of the bowls cracked down the middle and broke into a half dozen pieces.

Lance laughed. "I guess you have."

Merlin's uncle stepped into the kitchen and glared. "Control, Merlin! People will notice if you continue to break things whenever you become excited!"

"Don't worry Gaius," Lance said respectfully before smirking at Merlin. "Merlin is very good at pretending to be clumsy."

Merlin tried to make a face at his friend, but he was too happy that Lance was back to be angry.

Gaius relented. "Well, clean it up, Merlin, you have guests to feed. And I'd like some of that stew as well, if you don't mind," he asked. "I'll be in my study."

Exchanging a look, Merlin and Lance went back to preparing the meals. On trays stolen from the dining halls, they carried out bowls of stew and plates for the bread and salad, as well as the lemonade Merlin had made earlier. Leon and Morgana helped them bring everything to the living room while Elyan and Percival prepared the DVD player with the latest Pirates of the Caribbean.

"Are we late?"

Merlin carefully set down his tray of stew before dashing to welcome in the latest pair. Arthur and Gwen were holding hands in the entryway, and though he beelined for Gwen, it was the sight of Arthur that made Merlin's magic prickle under his skin. The senior was even more tanned than Morgana and his new haircut gave him a majestic look. It wasn't until Lance hugged Arthur and blocked the captain's face from Merlin's view that he realized he'd been staring.

"Go on, say hello," Gwen sighed, trying to sound put-upon while grinning fondly. "I'll speak to you later, Merlin." Though she'd been friends with Merlin since before he and Arthur could even be in the same room together, Gwen had gotten used to her boyfriend and her best friend getting into all sorts of trouble together. She held out her hand to Lancelot, who shyly took it to greet her, while Arthur turned to Merlin.

"Merlin," he said flatly, squaring his shoulders.

"Arthur," Merlin replied, equally unemotional.

There were jeers from behind them and Merlin was shoved forward by one of the sabreurs. He and Arthur both broke into a grins at the same time and hugged until Arthur felt the need to slap him on the back, forcing Merlin to squirm free.

"I trust my sabre and armor have been taken care of?" Arthur needled.

"Oh yes, sire, absolutely," Merlin pretended to bow.

"The cheek," Arthur scoffed. "Can't get good help nowadays."

"Careful Arthur, your ego's showing," Morgana joked from the couch. "Wait, that's nothing new!"

And so Arthur and his sister renewed their historical pastime of bickering about anything and everything. Merlin skirted around Lance and Gwen, who were talking quietly to each other, and delivered Gaius his dinner before returning to the living room. When he got back, his friends had migrated to the couched and were catching up about their summers- and in Lance's case, years- apart.

Merlin smiled unconsciously at the sight. He'd been waiting so long to have all of his friends together. Gwen and Arthur were sharing a cushion of the couch, with Lance beside them and Elyan squeezed in on the end. Percival had one armchair to himself and Morgana and Leon were pressed together on the other. Merlin took his customary place on one of the cushions on the floor in front of the sofa and frowned when he noticed the empty and unusually silent seat beside him.

"Where's Gwaine?"

Those seated behind him on the couch looked at each other for answers, but no one knew. Just then, heavy footsteps could be heard clomping up the stairs, and Merlin grinned.

Gwaine nearly always reminded Merlin of a movie star with the way he entered a room. As though lights came on and music started when he appeared, the long-haired man had a presence that attracted everyone's eyes. Today was no different.

"Hello my friends, you may all heap welcomes and gratitude upon me, for this commencement is now complete!" He lifted up his hands and showed off the huge cases of beer.

As Arthur, Percival and Elyan all leaped to their feet and dived for Gwaine, Merlin laughed. He knew that this year was going to be perfect.

A week later, everything was in ruins.


	2. Chapter 1

Merlin tried desperately to concentrate on his classical literature essay, but it was nearly impossible to care about the morals some stupid dragon was trying to teach the protagonists when he could hear his friends shouting in the hallway. Guiltily, Merlin turned up his music just enough that he couldn't hear the words being used.

If he wasn't mistaken, it was Arthur and Elyan this time. Elyan had sided with his sister when it had all come to light, claiming she had the right to talk to or see whoever she wanted. His intervention had been the trigger for Arthur to release the anger the he couldn't let out at Gwen, and the night had gotten very loud after that.

Merlin rubbed his temples, trying not to remember the scene that had taken place in his living room two days before. He forced himself to think about.. Kilgareth? What was the name of- Kilgarrah. Because ancient Celtic symbolism of destiny was so important.

Merlin shut down his laptop and flopped back on his bed. How did everything get so complicated so fast? Had it really been five days since they'd stayed up all night, eating popcorn and popsicles and drinking too many cans of warm beer? He remembered feeling so good that he wanted the night to last forever, even when he watched Arthur and Gwen cuddling on the couch. Merlin had decided that he would be happy with the revels around him even if he could only spend the rest of his life watching watch Arthur from a distance.

And now the secret was out. After corresponding for a year, Gwen and Lance had admitted to falling in love when Arthur caught them kissing in Merlin's living room, the unofficial common room. The resulting shouting had attracted everyone on the floor, and Merlin's team had broken apart before his eyes.

Merlin turned over and shook his head, trying to forget Gwen's tearful apologies, Arthur's betrayed expression, Lance's stoic sadness, and then the angry reactions of their friends as they tried to defend whoever they thought needed defending. The team had split down the middle, Lance and Gwen were temporarily rooming on the third floor and the varsity fencing team was left simmering with hostility, teammate turned against teammate.

Merlin's laptop let out a muffled roar, a sign that he'd gotten a message from his classics TA. Three days ago, he and Gwen had laughed like maniacs choosing that alarm, and now the thought only made Merlin wonder whether they would ever laugh together again.

...

Merlin's first class on Monday was Gen Ed geology with Leon. Merlin watched his friend's sluggish movements as they claimed a lab bench and began setting up a lab. Although it was one Merlin could do in his sleep, he found himself nearly knocking things over, he was so distracted by the dark circles under his friend's eyes.

"How're you holding up?" he asked casually.

Leon had to blink before he could answer. "Not bad."

"Are you getting to sleep okay?" Merlin focused an a beaker.

Leon glanced at him with a hint of a smile. "Don't beat around the bush, Merlin."

"Fine. Is there anything I can do to help?" he offered.

Leon shrugged. "Lance always told me to stop studying and get to bed. He'd get up early in Spain to Skype me."

"And he can't, now?" At a sharp look, Merlin said casually, "I mean, he's still your friend, right?"

"Yes, he's my friend, but Merlin… I've known Arthur since we were kids. He was my first fencing partner. I can't turn my back on him, not after what Lance and Gwen did."

"But you've known Gwen for just as-" Merlin cut off as their professor started to instruct the lab. Leon looked exhausted as he shook his head, and Merlin gave up. He slid his coffee over to his friend, who accepted it with a grateful look.

...

Merlin normally met with Gwen at a red- and gold-themed campus coffee shops every week to go over her math and his writing. Today she hugged him extra long before they sat down at their usual booth, and her eyes were puffy when she finally showed them.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently.

Gwen shook her head. "I feel so horrible. I never meant to hurt Arthur like this, you must believe me, Merlin!"

"I do," Merlin swore. "You're too good a person, Gwen."

"Am I?" she sniffed and blinked back the shining in her eyes. "I've known Arthur since we were children and I've never seen him look so devastated. I did love him, I really did. But now…" Her eyes implored Merlin to understand.

"You're with Lance… I didn't know you two were more than friends," Merlin said slowly.

"We weren't, not for a long time," she assured him. "But this summer… Arthur was distant. Distracted. I thought… I thought he was going to break up with me," she said quietly. Then she sniffed again. "But I guess he wasn't, or he wouldn't have been so hurt!"

Merlin stayed silent as she wiped away a few escaped tears. "He's Arthur," he said weakly. "I can't imagine he'll be angry forever."

"We'll see." Gwen gave him a watery smile, then took a few seconds to pull herself together. "Now. Classics essay. How much have you written?"

Merlin groaned. He'd almost prefer another shouting match.

...

Fencing practice would have been a nightmare if Gaius hadn't been the head coach. Even the gymnasium, large enough for a regulation-size basketball court and two sets of bleachers rolled into the walls, seemed full of bitterness and resentment. When Gaius called the team to order, Merlin watched as Arthur and Lance ended up on opposite sides of the group, with all their friends ranged symbolically between them. With all the delicacy of a scientist used to working with volatile chemicals, Gaius decided to arbitrarily split the team down the middle for warm-ups.

Merlin was filling out the start-of-term requisitions and sneaking looks at his friends when Gaius sat beside him with an aggrieved sound. "They're going to have to practice together eventually," the elderly coach noted. "Matters of the heart can cut deeply, but the tuition of several of our athletes depends on the continued achievement of this team!"

"I know." Merlin watched Morgana leading Lance, Elyan and a few prospective varsity athletes drill on one side of the strip. Across the center lines, and ignoring everything the other side was doing, Arthur called out steps for Percival, Leon, Gwaine and a few other sabreurs. Merlin could only be grateful that Gwen didn't fence, or the evening might have been even more dramatic. "I don't know how we can fix it."

"Perhaps there is nothing we can do," Gaius said with a sigh. "We shall have to wait and let those involved work things out for themselves."

As they watched, the steps of the drills brought Elyan and Percival close to the center line. The two roommates glared and quickly shifted away from each other.

"What if they never do?"

Gaius raised his eyebrows significantly and went to instruct the fencers. Morgana and Arthur met him at the center of the strip, not looking at each other. Merlin watched Arthur, listening intently to Gaius' instructions, then striding back to his sabreurs. He was sweating lightly from the drills and his thick cloth armor, and he tossed his head to brush his hair out of his eyes.

The pencil on Merlin's clipboard broke without him touching it. Merlin swore and dug out a new one from his book bag.


	3. Chapter 2

"Hey, wait up!"

Gwaine and Percival turned around a few steps from the entrance to the dining hall. They waited with big grins as Merlin nearly let his textbooks topple out of his bag.

"Need some help there Merlin?" Gwaine called.

Merlin glared when he caught up, slinging his bag more carefully over his shoulder. "I've got it!"

They bought their dinners and sat at a table near a window. Practice had let out late and the moon was high in the sky. Merlin fidgeted as Gwaine and Percival dug into their meals, hungry from their workouts.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Percival nodded toward Merlin's chicken sandwich.

Merlin dragged his plate near his chest. "Yes, I am!"

Percival snorted and went back to his own meal.

"Something the matter, Merlin?" Gwaine asked. Merlin met his inquisitive eyes and sighed heavily.

"What's happened with Arthur and Gwen and Lance," Merlin began. Immediately, the faces of his friends closed off. Gwaine sat back in his seat and crossed his arms and Percival gave Merlin a suspicious look. "See, that's what I'm talking about! It's tearing us apart! You and Elyan, Perce, you've been inseparable ever since you came to Camelot, and look at you now!"

Gwaine frowned. "I haven't heard about this. Are you two fighting as well?"

Percival swallowed a mighty bite. "He's convinced his sister's in the right. Says she can date whoever she wants, ignoring that she was with Arthur when she started up with Lance." Percival shook his head and took another bite of his sub. Merlin and Gwaine waited, used to their friend speaking slowly about serious things. "I have a sister, too, so I understand loyalty. I know he wants to protect her. But that was a terrible thing to do. And Arthur's the only reason Elyan and I got into Camelot. He's a good man, deserves better than that. Elyan just won't hear it."

"You don't owe Arthur anything," Gwaine said, eyebrows heavily furrowed. "And from what I've heard, he wasn't exactly Mister Faithful this summer."

Merlin jumped in surprise, but Percival just snorted and glared into his plate. Darkly, he muttered, "Just because you're sneakin' around with his sister doesn't mean Arthur would-"

Gwaine pushed himself to his feet, rattling the table. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Percival stood up as well. "Don't think we haven't noticed! The two of you, coming back to the dorm at midnight, all secretive looks and excuses?"

"So why haven't you dropped me then like you dropped Lance, if you're the morals police?" Gwaine challenged, face an angry red.

"Morgana and Leon aren't my business."

"But Gwen and Lance are?"

The pair looked a few moments away from getting physical when Merlin shouted at them. "Stop it! This is our problem, don't you see?"

Percival grabbed his tray. "Sorry Merlin," he said before heading to the other side of the dining hall.

Gwaine sat back in his seat forcefully. "I am so tired of this stupid feud. It's all I hear about nowadays."

Merlin examined the well-known angles of his friend's face. He knew Gwaine so well, but then he'd thought he'd known Lance and Gwen, too… "Morgana?" he asked quietly.

Gwaine rolled his eyes. "We're not cheating on Leon. We've been talking about this mess." He waved his hand at Percival's empty seat. "I don't want to pick a side, but I'm Arthur's roommate, so everyone's automatically going to think I'm with him. And Morgana was Gwen's roommate, before she got evicted, so it's the same deal. But neither of us want to get involved."

"Evicted?" Merlin whispered, leaning across the table.

Gwaine looked surprised. "Yeah. Well, they could've stayed, but Leon said it would be better for the team. Lance didn't want to move out, Gwen convinced him."

"How do you know?"

"Arthur told me." Gwaine pushed around his pasta with his fork. "He's put up a good show, but in private he's a wreck."

"I've been meaning to talk to him, but he keeps saying everything's fine." Merlin frowned at his sandwich. "I should've tried harder."

"Nah, he can be a right bastard when he wants," Gwaine said reassuringly. "Tell you what, we've got Wednesday afternoon free. You could come over and we'll hook up the Xbox."

"Thanks, I will." He hesitated. "Gwaine… what did you mean about Arthur not being faithful over the summer?"

Gwaine looked shifty. "I shouldn't have said anything. No one's business." Before Merlin could respond, Gwaine checked it watch. "Damn. I've got a chem packet to look over. Wednesday then?"

Merlin nodded and the long-haired sabreur grabbed his tray and left. As the chicken sandwich on his plate suddenly looked less than appealing, Merlin gave up and followed him out.

...

"Concentrate, Merlin!"

Merlin narrowed his eyes at the wooden box on the table. The magic under his skin warmed and sparked, and the box shook.

Sighing heavily, Merlin flopped down on the living room couch, the springs complaining beneath him. "I can't."

Gaius' eyebrows were extremely disapproving. "I don't understand. I can feel the strength of the magic within you, Merlin. Levitation should be child's play for you."

Merlin rolled his head back at the ceiling. "It's like something's blocking me from accessing it, always has been. I can't control when it does anything."

There was a knock on the door. Merlin hurried to move the box, decorated with magical runes, out of sight.

"Arthur, what brings you here?"

The box cracked under Merlin's hands. He quickly dropped it to the floor, where the pieces of wood scattered loudly. He looked over his shoulder to a heavy glare from his uncle and a weak smile from Arthur.

"Still just as clumsy as ever, Merlin?"

Merlin scrambled over. "Arthur, I've been meaning to-"

"Maybe later, I've got a set of proofs I need help with." He headed for Gaius' study. Gaius shrugged at Merlin and followed.

"I could help!" Merlin called.

The door closed. Merlin glared at the chunks of the box on the floor and they skittered together, glowing for an instant. When the light faded the box was whole and unbroken once again.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "You couldn't have done that when Gaius was here?"

...

Sociology of Religion with Morgana was going to be a fun class, Merlin could tell. Their professor had announced on the first day that he detested homework and that their only assignments beside the term final would be a page-long meditation on the course materials every two weeks.

Coming out of class Merlin and Morgana were in high spirits, discussing the video they'd watched for an hour. Merlin had forgotten all about the recent turmoil on their floor until Morgana ignored a call to her mobile.

"Who was that?"

"Leon," Morgana answered casually.

"You going to talk to him?"

She gave him a sharp look. "Not that it's any of your business, but we had an argument last night and I don't particularly feel like going over it again."

"Oh, not you too!" Merlin groaned. "Is there anyone left who's getting along?"

"Well…" Morgana sat down on one of the cast-iron benches that decorated the campus. "Gwaine and I are trying to stay in the middle. We can't have absolutely everyone at each other's throats. And no one's angry at you yet, are they?"

"Arthur might be. He's been avoiding me." Merlin looked out at the paths, at the students going from class to class without feeling like everything was falling to pieces around them. "He used to be my best friend, but when he started dating Gwen… and then recently…"

Morgana put her arm around him. "Arthur can be short-sighted at times, but he really likes you. He talked about you more this summer than he talked about Gwen! I'm sure he's not angry with you. Just speak to him."

Merlin nodded. "I will. Thanks."

The sabreuse smiled. "You're my friend, Merlin. I'm not about to let my idiot brother make you unhappy."

"You're probably right," Merlin decided. "I'm overreacting. I'm going to talk to him tonight, I'm sure he'll tell me it's nothing."

...

After his last Wednesday class, Merlin dumped his books in his bedroom and headed down the hall. He stopped outside Arthur and Gwaine's room and frowned. He could hear both of their voices, but… it sounded like they were fighting.

Merlin knocked lightly on the door, but no one answered. He opened the door. "Are you two alright, I heard-"

Merlin froze in place, hand scrabbling at the door handle. They were clearly not fighting, how could he have been so stupid? He was a junior in college, after all. But there was no way he could have expected to see Gwaine on his back in Arthur's bed, naked and moaning, while Arthur was on his knees above him, inside him, staring at Merlin with a look of shock and horror.

Merlin gaped for a full three seconds, then turned and slammed the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 3

Merlin avoided everyone he knew for two days, staying in Gaius' apartment to study and eat and sitting alone during classes. He broke more things in his room during those two days than in the last year. After the first half a dozen implements were reduced to shards, Gaius only served him food in metal bowls and thermoses, and after the first emotional outburst, didn't ask him what had happened.

Locking himself away in his room hid the fact that, in between schoolwork and sleeping, Merlin's mind kept going back to Arthur and Gwaine's room, and what he'd seen there. He replayed the scene a hundred times, from the sounds he'd heard in the hallway to the sight of them- Gwaine, his friend, and Arthur, his terribly straight crush of two years- entwined in an undeniable betrayal.

Except it wasn't betrayal. He'd never told anyone about his crush on Arthur; only Lance knew, and he'd found out by accident. There was no reason to be mad at Gwaine for sleeping with Arthur, and he had no right to be mad at Arthur for sleeping with anyone. He didn't have any claim on Arthur.

That was the thought that made his magic burst into fire below his skin, in his head and behind his eyes. Merlin didn't see red, like some people when they got angry. He saw gold. That was another reason he stayed into his bedroom. He swore to himself it wasn't to avoid Arthur or Gwaine.

On Friday evening, Gaius opened his door and looked at him, eyebrows expectant. Merlin nodded guiltily. He grabbed his clipboard and followed his uncle out of the apartment, glancing down the empty hallway of the dorm before they went off to the gym.

Merlin loitered outside the fencing hall until the sabreurs had begun their drills, then found a dark spot in the corner where he could take notes on their performance. It was one of his duties to mark down who was improving and who needed extra help in any areas, but it meant he had to watch them all carefully.

Today, looking at any of his friends seemed like a dangerous task. Writing about how Lance needed new fencing partners to learn how to anticipate their moves sounded like a cruel and cynical joke. Realizing that Elyan was fighting with too much anger made Merlin feel angry that the whole situation was hurting the people in the crossfire. And noticing that Arthur seemed distracted for the entire evening… well, Merlin went through quite a few pencils.

When practice was over, Gaius managed to give a short speech about unity and friendship amongst teammates without mentioning anyone or anything in particular. The varsity team looked somewhat downtrodden as they packed their equipment away, and the fencers who didn't know what was going on with the core group looked very confused.

Merlin rushed to leave the minute Gaius finished speaking; behind him, someone was calling his name, but he ducked his head and ignored it. He was so intent upon his escape from the gym that he forgot to look where he was going. As he stepped out into the early evening darkness, praying that the air would cool his nervous sweat, he barely managed to avoid colliding with someone in a light purple dress. "Gwen!"

"Merlin!" She looked startled. "There you are, we thought you'd been sick or something-"

"Merlin!" Arthur burst out of the gym, carrying his heavy gym bag over his shoulder. "Why didn't you-" Arthur stopped short when he saw Gwen, who was looking back at him, equally stricken.

There was a horribly awkward silence before Morgana and Gwaine emerged from the gym. "How convenient," Morgana said casually to Arthur and Gwen. "I was hoping to get the two of you together."

Merlin glared at Gwaine, who was giving Arthur a wary look. Arthur was glancing uneasily between Merlin and Gwen, and Gwen just seemed completely confused.

Morgana crossed her arms and frowned as she waited for a response. "Is there something going on here that I don't know about?" she snapped.

A crack sounded from Merlin's book bag, loud enough to make everyone flinch. "What was that?" said Gwaine, looking around the empty quad for the source.

The gym door opened again, and Lance emerged. Immediately, Arthur's unsure expression closed off, Gwen's hand on Merlin's arm tightened, and the atmosphere became a lot more strained.

Lance took a quick glance around the assembled group before he met Merlin's eyes, which were dangerously close to flashing and breaking something even more conspicuous.

As though in a trance of awkwardness, no one moved as Lance skirted Morgana and Gwaine to reach the other pair. "Merlin, walk back with us?" He nodded a quick goodbye over his shoulder before leading the way back to the dorm.

Once there was a building in between them and the others, Lance put his hands on Merlin's shoulders. "Take deep breaths," he said calmly.

Merlin's eyes were watering. "It doesn't help!"

"Merlin, look at me." Lance spoke gently but directly. "You need to calm down."

Merlin nodded and his chest heaved as he tried to grip the magic that was burning inside him. It fought him like the dragon he'd been reading about in classics, and by the time Merlin managed to push the power back he felt as though he'd wrangled a legendary monster. Lance's hands on his shoulders anchored him as he forced the magic deep inside where it normally resided.

It felt like it took a while, but barely a minute had passed when Merlin stepped away from Lance. Gwen was looking anxiously between them. "Are you alright, Merlin? I've never seen you this angry."

She sounded nervous, and Merlin tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm fine. It's just… you know."

Lance began moving them toward the dorm again. "Gwen, I need to talk to Merlin alone. Could I meet you later?"

"Sure," Gwen said agreeably, though she still looked confused. "Is something wrong?"

"I hope not," Lance replied. Merlin glanced at him, but he wasn't smiling like it was a joke. He was looking at Merlin with concern, and Merlin turned away.

...

Merlin entered Lance's new dorm room, a single, and sat tiredly in the desk chair while the others spoke quietly outside. Using magic often tired him, and trying not to use magic drained him completely. He rubbed his temples, which still prickled with the aftereffects of the magical build-up.

The door clicked shut and the springs of Lance's bed squeaked. Merlin didn't look up. "What happened?" Lance asked quietly.

Merlin shook his head. "I shouldn't tell you."

"Is it about Arthur?"

Merlin nodded miserably. Lance let his head fall back against the bedroom wall. Merlin snuck a look at him and realized he was thinking deeply. He'd forgotten that Lance would often zone out in the middle of conversations about some moral question that he needed to figure out. What with everything that had happened, Merlin hadn't gotten to spend much time with Lance and relearn his friend's habits, another reason to hate the situation.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," Lance said at last. "I count Arthur a very good friend, and I never intended… I do love Gwen, but I didn't expect for her to feel the same way. Once we met again… it was unstoppable."

He looked so distressed that Merlin had to believe him. "I know. You're the kindest person I know, except for Gwen." They both smiled.

"So you know I'm telling the truth when I say I would never do anything to hurt Arthur if I had the choice. You can tell me what happened, Merlin. I promise that it will not leave these walls and I will never use it against Arthur, or any of our friends."

Confronted with the solemnity of Lance's vow, Merlin relaxed. He'd felt so alone for the last few days. Keeping the secret inside was tearing him apart, and he'd missed being able to talk about his hopeless crush.

"I walked in on Arthur and Gwaine."

Lance nodded. "What were they doing?"

Merlin blinked, and felt a bit less dumb for not having guessed himself. "They were having sex," he said, feeling both awkward and disheartened to say it out loud.

Lance's eyes grew round. "I… wouldn't have expected that." He got a thoughtful look. "Though it does explain why Guinevere says she thought Arthur was planning to break up with her."

Merlin balled his fists. "But why Gwaine? Arthur never showed the slightest bit of interest in him before, or any men, for that matter. Why him, why now?"

"So that's what it is," Lance said knowingly. "You weren't nearly this jealous when he was with Gwen."

"I'm not jealous," Merlin denied. Then he reconsidered. "Fine, maybe I am. But before, there was no chance at all. He was completely straight, and now… it's just me." He looked at Lance and felt like he was laying his heart on a platter. "We've been friends for two years now. He just doesn't like me."

Lance never said he was sorry when Merlin was talking about Arthur, nor did he react to Merlin's voice wobbling uncharacteristically. He just watched silently and waited for Merlin to pull himself together.

"And it's not my business if he does want to sleep with Gwaine," Merlin tried to tell himself. "Gwaine's my friend, and he's… loyal and friendly and-"

"Merlin!" Lance interrupted. "You're glowing a bit," he said gently.

Merlin sighed, forcing the simmering magic down again. "I guess I'll have to avoid them for a few more days."

"That might be a good idea."


	5. Chapter 4

Trying to avoid everyone didn't work out when some of the people he didn't want to see had to attend the required work-study meeting. Merlin, Elyan, Lance and Gwen all had jobs on campus, and although Merlin hoped he could remain inconspicuous amongst the several dozen students, Elyan caught up with him after the meeting.

"Merlin, I nearly missed you! Where've you been all week?"

"Lot of work this week, don't know why," Merlin made up on the spot. "How are you?"

"Not too well, actually. Considering moving down a floor, if Perce doesn't stop being an idiot about my sister. You're lucky, not havin' a roommate who drives you bonkers."

"You're moving out?" Merlin repeated in shock. "But you two are best friends!"

"Not if he doesn't respect my sister," Elyan said simply.

"Well- it's not that simple," Merlin replied, feeling off-balance.

"Isn't it?" Elyan squared up to him with a suspicious look.

At that moment Gwen walked up to them with a plate of cookies from the meeting. "Are you two fighting?"

"Merlin's on Arthur's side," Elyan declared, giving him a decidedly unfriendly glance-over.

"No I'm not!" Merlin squawked, preempting the hurt look that was developing on Gwen's face. "I'm not on any side!"

Gwen frowned at her brother. "There's no need to be so argumentative, Elyan. Leave Merlin alone!"

"Fine." Her brother turned away from Merlin. "I'm going to lunch." He walked away.

"Elyan!" Gwen called after him, but he didn't stop. She turned to Merlin. "I'm so sorry," she said wretchedly.

"It's okay," he answered. "I know it's not you."

"I should talk to him. You'll be alright?" she asked sincerely.

"Yeah, fine."

Gwen hurried after her brother and Merlin wished very, very hard that he could be at the start of term again.

...

Merlin was glaring at the box. He imagined that the magic runes were sparkling rudely at him as he tried to force his magic to lift it up in the air. The box wobbled a little and Merlin groaned. He just couldn't get angry at a box, not like he could at Arthur-

A corner of the box cracked and fell off the table.

"Oh come on, you bastard!"

"Am I interrupting?" Gwaine asked from the doorway.

"Uh, no! Just talking to myself," Merlin covered. Then he remembered he could easily get angry at Gwaine and felt his cheeks heating up. "What do you-"

"Wait, before you kick me out," Gwaine hurried to stand at the end of the couch, hands held out entreatingly, "can we talk?"

He grimaced, but it had been several days, his magic had cooled off slightly, and Merlin was starting to feel somewhat immature hiding away in Gaius' apartment. "Fine. What do you want to say?"

Gwaine sat down on the couch carefully, with none of his usual relaxed flop. "There's been a large misunderstanding. Er…" He stared off into the corner of the room for a few moments. "Not quite sure where to begin."

The box wobbled. Gwaine gave it an odd look. "So this summer, Arthur and I spent a lot of time together practicing," he began in a confiding sort of voice. "And he told me around mid-July that he and Gwen were having problems. He said they'd grown apart, and he didn't know why, except that he didn't feel that bad about it."

"And that was when you two…"

"No!" Gwaine stopped him firmly. "He wanted to talk to me, cause he started thinking he might be gay."

Merlin raised his eyebrows, a trick he'd learned from his uncle. "And you're the one to talk to about that," he said ambivalently.

Gwaine smiled and shrugged in a 'well, yes' manner. "But in any case, he was with Gwen, and since she was in France for the summer and he didn't want to potentially break up over a video call, he couldn't do anything about it until classes started again, and you know how that ends."

"So Gwen and Lance deciding to start dating was really convenient for you two."

Gwaine looked surprised at the bitterness in Merlin's voice. "You know, you can be a real brat sometimes. Come here." He got off the couch and dragged Merlin to his feet and out of the apartment.

"Where are we going? Gwaine? No! Let me go!" As Merlin struggled to get away, Gwaine grabbed him around the waist and carried him the last few yards to his and Arthur's room, dumping Merlin unceremoniously on the floor before retreating quickly.

"This is for your own good!" he shouted through the door as Merlin banged on it and rattled the doorknob. The door didn't budge, however, and Merlin gave up, rubbing his hip where Gwaine had dropped him.

"Did he hurt you?" Merlin spun around and noticed Arthur sitting on his desk. "He was just supposed to bring you in, but I suppose you were being stubborn as usual."

Hearing Arthur talk about Gwaine with that silly half-smile of his made Merlin's magic boil. "Try and get the door open, would you?" he demanded.

Arthur shook his head, but got off the desk and went to the door. "When Gwaine decides to prank someone, he's generally pretty good about the details. I think we're trapped."

Merlin ignored him, trying to stop the dresser in the corner from shaking. Then he saw Arthur's rumpled bed- as though perhaps people had been writhing atop it recently- and had to distract himself. "So you were in on this prank, then?"

Arthur turned to Merlin and sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "I needed to talk to you, Merlin. Gwaine was just helping me."

"I could see that," Merlin said sarcastically nodding toward Arthur's bed.

"What is your problem?" Arthur asked, scowling. "Because you've been acting very strange lately, Merlin."

"My problem is… is…" After floundering for a moment, Merlin finished, "that Gwaine dragged me here in the middle of something very important, so I'd thank you to get on with whatever you need to say so he'll let us out."

As he spoke, the ceiling lights flickered. Arthur glanced upward, but let it go. "Fine. Sit down?"

Merlin sat in the desk chair and Arthur leaned against the wall. The sabreur rubbed his hands together then laced his fingers. In the moment of silence, Merlin was reminded that he hadn't gotten to spend any time with his friend since last term. He felt a pang of remorse, particularly when Arthur looked up at him with a marked lack of his usual confidence. "Gwaine told you… what I discussed with him this summer?"

Merlin nodded. "But I don't understand, you've liked Gwen ever since I met you."

"Things change." Arthur sighed. "I do care for her, but… not as I once did. This summer I realized that… my affections lie elsewhere."

Merlin crossed his arms and the lamp on Arthur's desk wobbled. "I see. So you decided to throw away your relationship with Gwen and tear apart your team because you were suddenly infatuated with Gwaine?"

Face going from pale to burning in an instant, Arthur pushed off the wall. "I didn't want to hurt the team! Or Guinevere, and, for the record, she was the one who broke it off, not me!"

"So you would've just kept dating Gwaine behind her back, oh that's very noble."

"I'm not dating Gwaine, where on Earth did you get that idea?" Arthur retorted. He scoffed as though the very concept were ridiculous.

Merlin stood up and the chair hit the desk behind him. "I got that idea when I walked in on you fucking him into the mattress!"

Arthur blushed, and the lights above their heads burned brightly. "He was just… doing me a favor. I wanted to be sure I liked men before I did something drastic!"

"I'm pretty sure sleeping with Gwaine counts as something drastic," Merlin snapped. As the lights buzzed with power and the lamp and the desk shook, he strode over to the door and tried to focus his magic on the lock, to no avail: the magic was, as ever when he really needed it, completely outside his control. "Let me out, Gwaine!"

"Merlin, let me finish!" Arthur demanded. "I just wanted to be sure before I talked to the person… I've been so distracted, it hasn't been Gwen for months!"

Merlin whipped around, eyes blazing. "If it's not Gwaine, and it's not Gwen, then who is it? Leon? Percival?" The lights flickered and burned and Merlin's sweater whipped from a sudden wind in the room.

Arthur looked desperate. "It's you!"

The lights flared blindingly, and something shattered.


	6. Chapter 5

The light from the ceiling went out as the bulbs shatters and glass fell to the wood floors. The sound of the shards hitting the floor wasn't nearly loud enough to cover Arthur's shout of pain. After that, there was a moment of stillness: Merlin's magic was gone and the hot place inside him felt as fiery as a snuffed candle.

By the late afternoon light behind the curtain, Merlin made his way to the desk, glass crunching underfoot, and switched on the lamp with a shaking hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked hoarsely.

Arthur was knelt in the center of the room, staring at his hands, but he looked up at Merlin's question. "I'm fine," he answered. The claim rang hollow, and Merlin helped him to his bed, tossing glass shards off the blanket before allowing him to sit.

"I'm sorry Arthur, I'm so sorry," he murmured desperately. Taking in the numerous small cuts on Arthur's face, he returned to hammer on the door yet again. "Gwaine, let us out! Arthur's hurt! Gwaine!"

There was no answer. "He's gone. Everyone's gone for at least an hour."

"You planned this?"

Arthur snorted. "Well I certainly didn't plan for the lights to explode. What do you think happened, anyway?"

"Uh, I dunno. Power surge?" Merlin suggested.

With that, awkwardness descended. Arthur looked around the room as though a distraction would pop out of nowhere. "There's a first aid kit in the closet."

Merlin hurried to fetch it and bring it over to the bed. "You'll need disinfectant."

"I can do it." Arthur grabbed for the kit.

"Don't be silly, you can hardly see your own face." He sat on the bed beside Arthur and began dabbing a disinfectant square on the small cuts on Arthur's forehead and cheeks. "You're pretty lucky," he said quietly, all too aware of how close they were. "None of these are too deep."

Arthur met his eyes. "And you? You didn't get cut?"

"Guess I was out of range." Merlin ducked his head to close the first aid kit, and when he looked up, Arthur was looking at him with fathomless eyes.

"Thank you Merlin."

"Anytime," Merlin murmured.

Neither of them moved, staring into each others' eyes. Merlin broke the silence. "So, you said… it was me?"

Arthur nodded, his breath catching. "Yes. I've… I care about you, Merlin. And if it makes you uncomfortable-"

"It doesn't!" Merlin interrupted, shaking his head assuredly.

"It doesn't? Arthur repeated, eyes wide.

"Not at all."

Arthur smiled slowly. "In that case…" He took one of Merlin's hands that was clenched anxiously around the first aid kit and leaned forward.

Merlin felt as though his magic was slowing down time, and maybe it was- it always seemed to do strange things around Arthur. But as Arthur's lips brushed gently against his and then pressed forward, he decided he wouldn't care if his magic locked them there forever. Merlin had only ever kissed his friend Will and Freya, the girl he'd dated that summer before he realized he was completely head over heels for Arthur. Those kisses didn't affect him half so much as kissing Arthur.

Merlin dipped his head to the side so he could rub his lips along Arthur's without bumping noses. He pressed his palm to Arthur's cheek to keep him in place while he focused on his friend's plump lower lip, something he'd wanted to do for years. His breathing sped up and he pulled away from Arthur long enough to meet his bright blue eyes that glowed with desire. Then he was dragged forward by his collar.

Arthur's tongue swept along his bottom lip and Merlin opened his mouth with no resistance, breathing sharply through his nose at the first taste of Arthur. He buried his hand in Arthur's blond locks and found himself being pushed backwards onto the bed. Arthur's weight settled on top of him and Merlin pressed back with his tongue, delving inside Arthur's delicious mouth and moaning.

Arthur's hands on his waist slipped beneath his t-shirt and, sitting up together, they divested Merlin of the shirt and his sweater in one motion. Arthur flung his own shirt to the floor unthinkingly and returned to kissing Merlin wetly, one hand stroking down his chest and stomach to his waistband as he moved pressed Merlin back to the mattress.

Merlin gasped and Arthur flinched. "Are you alright?" he asked, voice husky but shocked.

"Yeah, just- there's still glass on the blanket." Merlin carefully pulled a tiny shard out of his back.

Arthur stood up from the bed. "Probably not the best place to do this," he said, turning away as though uncomfortable.

Merlin got off the bed and dragged the blanket to the floor, leaving only the undamaged sheets. "Nonsense. What's the matter?" He put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and turned him around.

Arthur bit one kissed-red lip. "It's… see, with Gwaine, that's- I mean, it's Gwaine, half the team's slept with him at some point."

"They have?!" Merlin asked incredulously.

Arthur looked askance at Merlin's surprise. "You didn't know that? Anyway," he continued while Merlin was still opening and closing his mouth, "this is different. With you, it's…" He took a deep breath and let it out, giving Merlin a weighted look. "It's more than that."

Merlin weighed his dignity against Arthur's comfort and found it to be a very simple equation. "I've liked you since the first fencing tournament my freshman year."

Arthur's eyebrows knit together in surprise. "Really?"

"You believed me when I said that fencer from Western Isles University was cheating. You barely even knew me but you risked your reputation on what I told you."

"You were right," Arthur pointed out. "He could've cut right through my armor with that sharpened sword."

"It was a noble thing to do," Merlin said simply.

"You think I'm noble?" Arthur straightened, a hint of his cocky smile returning.

"Don't get a swelled head," Merlin warned.

Arthur's eyes zeroed in on his again and it was like being pinned down to the practice mat the one time he'd fenced with Arthur. "I've missed you, Merlin," the sabreuer breathed, and pulled him close again.

They fell on top of the bed, kissing deeply. Merlin's fingers pressed into the defined muscles of Arthur's back while Arthur kissed his neck. "'s strange to kiss someone with stubble," he murmured.

"Shut up," Merlin replied succinctly. He rolled on top and ducked so he could push his tongue into Arthur's mouth, relishing in the stifled moan he elicited from the usually contained senior. He ground his hips against Arthur's; they both groaned and hastily went to unzip their jeans. Once the pants were tossed to the floor, Arthur gripped Merlin's waist. "How do you want to…?"

"I'll take care of you," Merlin said without thinking.

Arthur's eyes flashed with fear for a moment, before that distant look returned. "You always do," he muttered.

"Do you have condoms and things?"

"Over there," Arthur pointed, "Gwaine's desk."

"He won't mind?" Merlin asked, although he was already getting up to rummage through the drawer.

"He'll be thrilled," Arthur said sarcastically. "He's gotten annoyed that I keep talking about you."

Merlin smiled, feeling something warm in his chest that wasn't magic. "You've been talking about me?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Maybe a little."

Merlin dropped his boxers and very much enjoyed the sight of Arthur's pompous expression melting into lust. He crawled atop the blonde and dropped the packets of condoms and lubricant onto the bed so he could gently pull down Arthur's briefs. Then he laid himself over Arthur and kissed him while grinding them together.

Arthur nearly bit his tongue. "Jesus, Merlin!" he gasped and thrust up against Merlin's stiff cock. He reached down and pressed them together, stroking once, twice, until Merlin grabbed his hand.

Fumbling with impatience, Merlin tore open one of the lube packets and squeezed half on it onto his fingers. He nudged Arthur's thighs apart with a knee and trailed a finger down Arthur's balls before reaching his hole. Arthur looked discomforted and Merlin paused to reassure him.

"It won't hurt that much, I promise."

Arthur nodded and took a deep breath, and Merlin pressed a single slick finger inside him. Arthur looked uncomfortable, but he didn't protest, and Merlin began moving the finger in and out. After a few repetitions Arthur seemed to relax, so Merlin pushed deeper. Suddenly Arthur threw his head back, eyes wide. "Is that…?"

"I guess so," Merlin replied, feeling a strange urge to giggle as he revisited the winning spot and caused another buck of Arthur's hips.

"What do you mean, you guess so?" Arthur looked up at him, wide-eyed and breathing heavily. "Haven't you done this before?"

"Not exactly."

"Great," Arthur dropped his head back on the pillow. "Fantastic."

Merlin narrowed his eyes and pressed in two fingers on the next thrust. He grinned at the look on Arthur's face. "I'll show you fantastic."

He continued to stretch Arthur's hole until he felt the muscles relax. At that point, both of them were panting with desire. Merlin wasted no time in rolling a condom over his aching cock and slicking the remainder of the lubricant from the packet over himself. "Ready?"

Arthur's eyes blazed as he nodded silently, and he moaned when Merlin pushed inside him.

Merlin had to hold his breath to keep from thrusting into the tight warmth ahead of him. He waited until he felt Arthur's internal muscles stop clenching against the intrusion, and when Arthur's expression looked nearly desperate, he pushed forward in inches until Arthur was urging him to move faster. "It's fine, just do it!"

The dorm room felt far too hot. Sweat glistened on Arthur's chest and face and Merlin loved the way it defined Arthur's muscles as he thrust in and out of the other man's body. He leaned down to kiss Arthur and their tongues danced wetly until Arthur turned his face away. "God, Merlin…"

Merlin could feel Arthur's stiff cock against his stomach and he began to stroke it in time with his thrusts. Arthur gasped and gripped his shoulder with one hand, tangling the fingers of his other with Merlin's to show him how he would get off. Far too soon, Arthur's eyes clenched shut, his back bowed and his cock spurted over their entwined hands. Merlin groaned as Arthur's hole tightened in pulses around him and his vision darkened for a few seconds as he came. He let himself rest against Arthur's heaving chest and chuckled, closing his eyes.

"Merlin?" Arthur breathed a few moments later.

"Yeah?" Merlin mumbled drowsily.

"Why is everything in the room levitating?"


	7. Epilogue

Merlin took the stairs two at a time and was panting when he reached the fourth floor of his dorm. He grinned at the familiar floor coat as he rushed through the door and across the hall to Gaius' apartment. When he burst inside and dashed to the kitchen, he nearly crashed into Gaius, who was emerging with a cup of tea. "Merlin, be careful!"

"It's almost time, Gaius!" Merlin announced as he turned off the stove and moved his stew to a cool burner. "You know, I really need to learn to cook something else," he commented.

Gaius smiled affectionately. "I believe your friends would still attend movie night even if you did not cook for them."

Merlin grinned and shrugged. "It's tradition," he answered.

"Well I hope it's not also tradition to get popcorn all over the living room," Gaius warned.

"We'll be very careful, Gaius," came a voice from the living room. Gaius and Merlin both turned to find Arthur waiting with bags of vegetables for the salad. "I let myself in."

"Great!" Merlin snapped his fingers and the cutting board flew from its place above the stove to the counter opposite Merlin, setting down with barely a clatter. Merlin beamed at the evidence of his much-improved magic skills. "You can start chopping!" he commanded the man who'd unlocked his power.

Arthur set the bags of groceries on the counter and then leaned against it. "Why don't you do it, oh great sorcerer?"

"I could always get Lance to help," Merlin said, pretending to be thoughtful.

Arthur scowled and retrieved two knives to cut the vegetables. They worked in silence until Merlin noticed Arthur was still frowning a few minutes later. "I was kidding, you know." Arthur nodded, but didn't reply, and Merlin set down his knife. "I was kidding," he said firmly. He stepped closer until Arthur put down his knife, and caressed the blonde's cheek. "You're the only one for me, you know that."

Arthur smiled. "I do." He leaned in to kiss Merlin, the vegetables forgotten.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Gwaine snapped a photograph just as they turned their heads and crowed his success. "Blackmail material!"

Arthur swore and tore out of the kitchen after his roommate. Merlin followed to the doorway and watched his boyfriend chase Gwaine around the living room, dodging Percival and Elyan as they set up the DVD player with the latest Harry Potter, nearly running into Leon, who was bringing Morgana some lemonade, and almost falling on Lance and Gwen, who were squeezed onto a single cushion of the couch.

Merlin leaned against the doorframe and laughed. He just knew that this year was going to be perfect.

And it was.


	8. Post-Epilogue

As he thoroughly trounced Gwaine on the Xbox- and no matter what the sabreuer said, he was definitely not letting himself lose just to be nice- Merlin suddenly remembered a relatively small tidbit from one of the best conversations of his life a few days before.

"Wait, you've slept with half the team?" he blurted out. As he looked away from the game, Gwaine's avatar dealt his own a death blow, and Merlin's poor character died moaning with pain on the flat screen.

Gwaine smirked at the victory, but looked completely innocent when he turned to Merlin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You liar," Merlin accused, brandishing the controller. "Who was this? When was this? Everyone but Elyan's been in a relationship for most of the last two years!"

Gwaine shrugged. "Then I guess it's impossible, isn't it?" He queued up a new game, but Merlin was still staring at him, looking like the world as he knew it had betrayed him.

"But… I don't understand."

"Just because people are in a relationship doesn't make them blind," Gwaine said mildly, not seeming to notice Merlin's complete lack of comprehension. When he finally looked over, he winked. "I told you we weren't cheating on Leon."

Ten minutes later, Gwaine left the room grumbling. Perhaps he should've waited to break that news: Merlin in a state of shock was no challenge at all on the Xbox.


End file.
